According to police, the wild boars had accidentally fallen into the well, belonging to two farmers in Thayanur village near Mettupalayam in the district.

The farmers had earlier noticed the boars moving around and destroying sugarcane and other crops and were against bringing the animals up, forest department sources said.

About 100 villagers staged a road roko protesting against the rescue attempts even as Mettupalayam forest range officials along with representatives of Environment Conservation Group and two NGOs reached the spot to rescue the animals.

Officials pacified them and the villagers allowed them to rescue the animals using ropes. However, one died in the well itself.

The rescued boars will be released into the Barliar forests in the range, the sources said.